Study Suggests Need to Act Fast to Prevent Suicide among Youth Who self-Harm

The first weeks following an attempt at self-harm were shown to be a critical time of enhanced suicidal risk for young people in a recent study by Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Using data on 32,395 youth ages 12-24, researchers concluded that 17% of youth who self-harm will have repeated episodes within the first year; adolescents were 46 times more likely to die of suicide within 12 months of a nonfatal self-harm attempt than controls. Addressing young people’s mental health and safety immediately after self-harm episodes should be a priority, particularly for male and Native American youth who harm themselves.

Read about the study here: https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/suicide-risk-youth-sharply-higher-months-after-self-harm